The Sprout
Cllrs
Potter and Berrett, chair and vice chair of NHPC
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 165 March 2022
The Sprout
The Newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Directors: Janet Bartlam, Judi Bolder, John Clements,
Michael Cockman, Ag MacKeith, Robin Palmer
Editor
Ag MacKeith
South View House, Old Botley, OX2 0JR Tel: 724452 Editor@TheSprout.org.uk
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The Sprout
Issue 165, March 2022
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
5 Botley in Bloom/ Library news
7 Better Flood Scheme Needed
11 The Joys of Being a Brownie
13 Botley Patients Group
15 Botley WI Goes to Blenheim
17 Stay Warm Save Energy
19 Dawn Rivers/ KMC
21 Culture Corner
22 Solar Farm Visit
25 Botley Bridges
27 Beautifying the Flyover
31 Not looking for Bear Grylls
33 Botley School Governors
37 Randoms /Planning Apps
39 Local Organizations
From the Editor
What’s been happening this month? Well, there’s plenty going on, as
usual. There’s a beady-eyed review of the Flood Alleviation Scheme (p7),
coming up for consultation again soon, and two views of the fact-finding
visit to Westmill Solar Farm (p22). The Patients Participation Group is
studying the Quality Control Commission’s long-awaited findings on the
local medical practice (p13). On 19th March we can look forward to the
chance to engage with the plans to beautify the A34 flyover, and the artist
shares some thoughts on page 27. Botley in Bloom is back for 2022,
sponsored by the Sprout, see page 5 for ideas. The Brownies are doing
their thing with sock puppets (p 11), while other organizations are looking
for governors (Botley School, p33) and scout leaders (Oxford XV, p31). If
you are wondering about those happy faces on the cover, we thought we
could give a nod to International Women’s Day on 8th March with a
picture of Caroline Potter and Lorna Berrett, the two good women who
head up the parish council. It’s the Annual Parish Meeting on 18th March,
your chance to share ideas for how things could develop locally, but
before then, on Saturday 12th, there is a session at the Seacourt Hall that
will offer help on cutting energy bills Stay Warm Save Energy (p17 ).
See you there!
Ag MacKeith
Letters to the Editor
Wrecking the Green
Considerable damage has been done to the southern edge of the North
Hinksey Village Green by people parking there, either from AirBnB's or
the Fishes or the Rugby Club, etc. Sections of it are little more than mud
with tyremarks. Logs have now been placed along its whole length at
spaces shorter than a car's length to dissuade people from spoiling
what should not only be an asset for people to play on but also a con-
tributor to the visual attractiveness of the village. I hope we might be
able to retain them in place. I note that a couple of earlier placements of
logs were removed,
Chris Sugden (Canon Dr)
Missing Streams
I understand that one of the streams diverted at the outbreak of War
formerly flowed from the junction of Lime Rd and Yarnells Hill down to
Raleigh Park. I was told this by an old-timer walking his dog, but unfor-
tunately I haven't seen him or his dog (or wife) for several years.
David Brown
I was always told that there were several springs in the fields that are
now the Tilbury Fields estate. They run into a stream that runs down the
side of Tilbury Lane. There is another running along the south side of
the Tilbury Allotments.
A friend whose parents lived in Seacourt Road said that the Tilbury
Lane stream ran alongside Seacourt Road and came out into West Way
near to the pub. When the area was developed and Seacourt Road and
the bungalows were built up, the stream was culverted and put under-
ground. It may now be one source of the stream that goes via North
Hinksey Lane into the Seacourt Stream.
If you look at old maps e.g. the 1948 OS 1:25000 map
https://maps.nls.uk/view/196187625 you can see some of these old
streams and springs. Maybe one for those with better access to these
old maps to investigate.
Dave Ralphs
[Thanks very much for these further contributions to the investigation.]
Botley In Bloom
Front Garden Competition 2022
The Botley in Bloom competition will be back this
summer with your friendly neighbourhood judges hoping
to enjoy the results of your efforts during week beginning
Monday 13 June. Plenty of time to start planning!
Please note that even if Covid restrictions are completely
relaxed we will be judging front gardens only.
I thought it might be helpful to let potential competitors know now the
criteria judges will be looking for, as well as the categories in which you
can enter.
First, the categories. This year we will have two categories:
Best Front Garden
Best Cultivated-Wildlife Front Garden
In the past we have had a third category of Best Use of Vegetables, but
we’ve decided to drop it this year. Obviously don’t let this stop you
integrating veggies into your front gardens as you wish, it just won’t be a
category on its own.
Secondly, the judging is done by marks on a score sheet and for
guidance I itemise below the judging criteria:
In the Best Front Garden category there will points awarded for:
Colour and planting
Design sympathetic to the house and surroundings
Environment & wildlife provision
Creativity and invention
Good overall design
In the other category, Best Cultivated-Wildlife Front Garden, the judges
will be looking for:
Planting to attract wildlife
Wildlife corridors
Bird/insect/hedgehog box(es)
Native plants/hedges
Good overall design
As we know, greening our gardens greatly benefits the environment but
most of us, especially on Elms Rise Estate, also need to park our cars
on our front driveways. Our judging has always taken this into
consideration when we are looking at the overall design and we
welcome sympathetic planting alongside. I should re-iterate that
impermeable surfaces creating water run-off are not the way forward,
although gravel and types of paving where water can escape through
the cracks usually works well.
I hope the above explanation of judging criteria is helpful. Look out for
entry details to Botley in Bloom 2022 in future editions of The Sprout
and posters around the Parish. There’s a Facebook page too, which
we’ll get round to updating before long. In the meantime I hope you
enjoy planning your summer front garden.
Viv Smith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Botley Library
Hello. My name is Elizabeth Ward and I am the
Manager of Botley Library. Although I have been
in this role for a couple of years, I have recently
returned from a secondment, so I am using this
opportunity to re-introduce myself and make
people aware of some of the services that you can
find in your local Library.
We have a beautiful, modern space where you
can read, study, use our computers, borrow, print
and photocopy. Applications for bus passes can
be made with our staff (an appointment is necessary for this please
ring and book) and we hold Bookstart resources for under-two s and
toddlers (if these haven’t been collected from your Health Visitor or pre-
school). We are hoping to restart events like Rhymetime, Storytime,
Author talks and Craft workshops very soon, and details of these will be
advertised on the ‘A frame board that is outside the building and also on
our new Facebook page which is coming shortly. Please look out for it
and ‘like’ it when it goes live.
Here are our contact details and opening hours:
Elizabeth.ward@oxfordshire.gov.uk Botley.library@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Opening hours: 9.30 to 5.30 (7pm on Fridays, 1pm on Saturdays).
Closed Wednesdays and Sundays. Te l : 07922 849680.
Best wishes and hope to see you soon!
Liz and the Team (Lyn, Monica, Kathryn, Jude, David and Thomas)
Oxford Needs A Better Flood Scheme
The Environment Agency will soon be putting in a planning application
for a £154 million Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme (OFAS). This would
involve digging a 5km ‘sculpted channel’ from north of Botley Road this
side of the Park and Ride to north of Kennington, plus other measures
such as bunds at South Hinksey. When the planning application is in,
we will all have the opportunity to comment on it. We believe that
Oxford badly needs flood protection, but the OFAS is an
environmentally destructive, over-costly way of doing this. The
Environment Agency has
refused to consider
cheaper and less harmful
alternatives.
Environmental harm: The
OFAS will lead to the
destruction of thousands of
mature trees, and two
hectares of beautiful and
rare MG4 meadow
(Hinksey Meadow), as well
as threatening the
remaining meadow.
Nobody has yet
successfully transplanted
MG4 meadow. Digging up
400,000 cubic metres of
soil from Oxford’s millennia-old floodplain and felling the trees will
release huge quantities of carbon.
During the project’s 3-4 year construction period, access to the site will
be severely restricted. Removing the soil will mean tens of thousands
of additional HGVs on the A34. The HGVs will accelerate slowly, further
increasing congestion on the ring road. There will be disturbance and
other impacts at South Hinksey from lorries going in and out.
Lack of long-term management: After construction, the presence of
the channel plus new fencing will affect grazing and limit recreational
use of the area. The OFAS plan includes only 10 years of maintenance
(it is unclear what ‘maintenance would look like). There is no budget for
maintenance after the first 10 years: land owners are expected to do
this. Without maintenance, vegetation build-up could inhibit the flow of
water, reducing flow capacity and limiting the scheme’s ability to protect
properties from flooding.
Too costly: Digging the channel is the most costly part of the scheme,
but the least effective. 85% of the OFAS benefits in terms of reducing
flood damages would come from continuing existing flood alleviation,
notably the conduits under Willow Walk. Most or all of the rest of the
benefits come from bunds around South Hinksey, defences at Osney
Island etc. NOT from the destructive channel. The marginal benefit-
cost ratio of the channel is at best 1.66:1. This does not include the
costs of reduced recreation, tranquillity, biodiversity, carbon fixing and
long-term maintenance, which further increase the scheme’s costs.
Reasonable alternatives not considered: Legally the Environment
Agency must consider ‘reasonable alternatives’, but it has not
considered any alternative to this channel / floodplain lowering since
2009. Reasonable alternatives that could provide as much or more
protection from flooding at lower financial, environmental and social
costs include:
Underground pipes broadly along the OFAS route, with pumps
that switch in automatically before flood events become damaging;
Putting in components of the OFAS (bridges at Willow Walk,
bunds at South Hinksey, rail bridging at Old Abingdon Road etc.) but no
channel to start with, monitoring effectiveness, and adding a channel or
pipes if necessary.
We encourage people to ask about these points when the Environment
Agency puts in a planning application for the OFAS at which point we
are invited to have our say. Further information is available at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oxford-floodscheme/oxford-
flood-scheme, www.oxfordfloodandenvironmentgroup.com and
www.hinkseyandosney.org Riki Therivel and Tim O’Hara
The Joys of Being a Brownie
Hello! We hope you like the sock puppets
that were created at 2nd Botley Brownies
early in 2022 as part of a badge. If you
look carefully you can see that they are all
made from recycled stuff found around the
house plus a pair of new googly eyes. We
think you will agree that all the girls have
fabulous imaginations and did a great job
of translating them into various creatures
like cats and rabbits. We have been work-
ing on a lot of badges as a unit, although,
unfortunately, some of the science experi-
ments Girlguiding suggested were not as successful as the sock pup-
pets it just goes to show that not everything works perfectly first time.
We are very pleased to report that the recruitment of new girls to our
unit of 2nd Botley is going very well and we will definitely be around to
celebrate our unit’s 50th birthday! The current girls are noticeably po-
lite, cheerful and quick to catch on, which allows us to cover a lot of ac-
tivities in the time allowed. When playing games new or old they
are good sports too. We have been made aware of the benefits of re-
turning to normal social activities as you can see from these comments
from our parents: She’s
really enjoying Brownies.”
“Brownies has been such a
good thing for her. Her
mental health has really im-
proved.”“My daughter has
such a good time each week
with new friends.” “Her
confidence is growing.”
“She’s really keen each
week.”
Lucy Howes
Care Quality Commission Report Published
In April 2021 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the Botley
Medical Centre (BMC) and placed it under special measures. In De-
cember the CQC inspected the BMC again. They noted improvements
and have now taken the practice out of special measures.
Their report can be accessed here https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-
544081039/reports
They found
Significant improvement to monitoring patient safety, specifically the
prescribing of high-risk medicines;
Improved effectiveness of patient care and treatment, although the
required standards had not yet been met in updating care plans for
patients with mental health conditions and ensuring advanced clini-
cal decisions are reviewed annually;
Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect, and involved
them in decisions about their care;
The practice adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of
patients during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Patient access to communication channels and care required im-
provement, and patients sometimes found barriers to accessing
services when required;
Improved monitoring processes for dealing with daily tasks such as
patient correspondence, and adjustments to reduce backlogs when
workflow increased had been made;
There was limited independent quality improvement on the part of
the practice. Leaders did not have effective audit and monitoring
processes to ensure they identified areas for improvement;
Significant improvement in culture reported by staff.
They found one breach of regulation. The provider must:
Ensure adequate governance and monitoring processes are in
operation to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety
of the services provided.
The CQC are asking the Practice to produce a report on the actions it
will be taking in the light of the report.
As the report was published, the post of Practice Manager became
vacant. The practice is in the process of shortlisting and plans to in-
terview candidates for the post.
The PPG discussed the report at its meeting on 8th February. Among
issues and questions they raised were:
Long--term follow up of those with ongoing medical conditions;
The worry people experience about securing an appointment
only ‘on the day’;
Why routine appointments cannot be booked in advance;
How the outreach to pharmacists and the new prescription clerk
have assisted in securing prescriptions;
What the BMC plans to do in the areas where improvement is
needed.
The BMC has invited the members of the Patients Participation Group
to meet Julie Dandridge the Head of Primary Care for the Oxford Clini-
cal Commissioning Group, Dr Aintzane Ballastero, Esti Ballastero and
Eleanor Baylis (of PML, who are assisting the BMC) at Kennington
Health Centre at 4pm on Thursday 3rd March, to discuss the report and
set out ways to work together for the continued improvement of the
Practice. If you wish to join the PPG please contact our secretary Chris
Sugden on csugden@ocrpl.org or 07808 297043.
Chris Sugden
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Botley W.I. goes to Blenheim
The ladies of Botley WI have been out and about again. On Tuesday
25th January we set out for Blenheim in a very cold wind. It was, to say
the least, ‘bracing!’ The photo shows us cold, but ‘braced’!!
The lakes looked cold and uninvit-
ing so no one suggested a swim!
The trees were bare, but there
was life below them: everywhere
we looked there were birds of all
types foraging in the dead leaves.
Our walk ended at the excellent
restaurant. We sat and talked for
a while and then we returned to
Oxford on the bus, and went our
separate ways.
Jenny Holloway
Stay Warm, Save Energy
Free event at Seacourt Hall, Botley,
Saturday 12 March, 2-5pm
From April this year, most households will
be paying at least 54% more for their
energy. For the average UK household,
annual costs will jump from £1200 to nearly £2000. And a further hike is
expected in October. Energy company E.ON was slated for sending
customers warm socks but, seriously, many homes will be colder next
winter. So what can we do about it?
All residents of Botley and surrounding areas are hugely welcome to our
event, Stay Warm, Save Energy at Seacourt Hall on 12th March. This is
an initiative of the new Sustainable Botley group, which now has a
website: https://sustainablebotley.uk/. We’re grateful to North Hinksey
Parish Council for their support in paying for the venue hire.
We’ll have a short panel session at 2.15 with a variety of speakers to set
the scene and stimulate discussion, followed by workshops and stalls.
There will be loads of opportunities to chat with energy and eco-
renovation experts and to local people who have made home energy
improvements.
We’ll be talking especially about
Staying warm and saving energy on a tight budget
Bringing your house up to standard
and the grants and loans available
Future-proofing your home, including eco-renovation
Making connections in our local community so we can support
each other and find ways of taking action together.
There will also be tea and cakes!
We’re still identifying experience and expertise in the local community. It
would be great to hear about anyone who has made home
improvements to save energy or cut carbon; we’d also really like to hear
from installers of insulation, heat pumps, double or triple glazing etc.
who might be interested in having a table at the event.
You can just turn up on the day, but it would help us a lot if you could
book online via https://sustainablebotley.uk/ to give a sense of numbers.
If you’d like to get in touch about the event, please contact me at
laurie@ liv ingwitn e s s .o rg .u k . Laurie Michaelis
Dawn Rivers 1938 2022
Sadly Mum died on 9th February, having
had a stroke in December.
Dawn was born in Cowley and moved to
Arthray Road in 1962 with her husband
Michael. They bought a house opposite
Dad's parents. Myself and my sisters
Anita and Julie lived there and attended
Botley School.
Mum helped organize the street party for
the Silver Jubilee. She could often be
seen pushing her bike up and down the
road to go shopping, meet friends for a
drink, or catching a bus in to Oxford.
The Rivers family have lived in Arthray Road for over 80 years.
Gary Rivers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kennington Memory Club
At the time of writing this snowdrops and crocuses are flowering,
daffodils are beginning to show yellow, birds are singing their hearts out
and Spring has definitely sprung! This is always a season of new life
and hope for most. Those who are living with dementia definitely enjoy
these signs of Spring, but their expectations may be more limited than
for most people. Quality of life is one of the most important aspects of
their lives and this is where Kennington Memory Club steps in.
The day care sessions run by the Club provide company, different
surroundings, activities, music, friendship and laughter, all much
enjoyed by the members, and giving their carers much-needed respite
from their duties. If you or someone you know would benefit from
attending the Club and want to find out more please telephone 07852
883496 or email info@kenn in g to n memo r y c lu b .o rg.uk .
If you would like to join our band of volunteers, essential for the smooth
running of the sessions, please use the same contact details. Most
volunteers help out for a half day about once a fortnight. Our website :
kenningtonmemoryclub.org.uk
Isobel Birse
Culture Corner
Thanks For All The Fish is an exhibition of photographs by Uwe
Ackermann at St. Peter and St.Paul Church runs from 07 March29
April . It documents the conversion, over the years 2017 to 2019, of
West Way precinct from a collection of independent shops into a mono-
lithic shopping centre that has priced the small traders out of the area.
Botley community united to resist the development and achieved con-
cessions from the Council, including retain ing historic Elms Parade. The
images show different expressions of community resistance, solidarity
and social engagement. https://www.codeack.co.uk
About Uwe Ackermann: Until my retirement in 2007, I spent my pro-
fessional life as a physiologist at the Universities of Toronto and Oxford.
In the early 1980s, during a visit to New Orleans, I was lured towards
photography by the varied and inventive use of iron in that city. From
that time onwards I have used the camera partly as a recording device
and partly as a collector of source material for the possibilities offered
by digital manipulation. My aims are always to tell a story and to elicit
from the viewer a reaction, a smile of recognition, a desire to know what
might lie outside the frame. https://uwe-ackermann.crevado.com and
https://instagram.com/uweack
It’s International Poetry Day on 21 March, so we thought we’d celebrate
with this poem by Leah Detheridge, a youthful poet from North Hinksey
Our Own Way
We are all unique,
In our own way.
Some people are chatty,
While some have little to say.
Some of us are tall,
Some of us are squat
Some of us don't like reading,
But some of us like it a lot.
Some of us are bold,
While others are more shy,
Some like to tell the truth,
While others prefer to lie.
Some of us like Winter,
While some like Autumn more,
But some people like hot weather,
And that's what Summer's for.
Some of us like food sweet,
While some of us like it hot,
Some of us like sport,
While others just do not.
All of us are different,
Though we may seem the same,
We are all our own person,
With our own brain.
And I guess what I've been trying to say,
Is that we're all unique in our own way.
Visit to Westmill Solar Farm Two Views
Sterile wildlife desert
Following the proposal/suggestion for a
Solar Farm on the field adjacent to the
Beacon at the rear of Mathew Arnold
School, North Hinksey Parish Council
organised a visit to the community run
Solar Farm (Westmill) at Watchfield on
the border with Wiltsh ire .
With this in mind I joined the group.
Members of the Community Trust there made us very welcome, giving
us a lot of information regarding their scheme (which is close to an older
wind farm, also owned by the community). This was followed by a well
received lunch, during which we were able to raise some questions with
members of the Trust.
This installation is on what is known as a ‘Brownfield’ site, in that it used
to be an airfield, and is set discreetly behind existing hedgerows. A two-
metre-high steel fence bordered the solar farm, with CCTV cameras set
along the perimeter. It was interesting to see the panels close up. They
are approximately three metres in height, set on concrete pads. It was
not a sunny day so one was not able to judge the reflection from the
panels. The cables from the panels feed into machines (invertors at the
end of each run of panels, resembling small shipping containers). These
inverters convert the DC electricity to AC in order that it might be
transferred to the grid. There were also similarly placed transformers to
step up the electricity for travel down the cable, as well as some other
containers or small buildings on the site, which carried out various
function s .
What struck me more than anything else was that the whole site
appeared totally devoid of wildlife kept out by the steel and badger proof
fences, there was not even a skylark. The site seemed to be a sterile
wildlife desert. It was also apparent that the equipment was noisy,
producing a background hum which would upset the tranquil peace of
anywhere not set on a site such as this, remote from public footpaths
and bridleways and people’s homes.
We have to carefully consider that the search for renewable electricity
sites should be chosen so as not to denigrate the natural world and
recreational pleasures of the visual landscape that we are endeavouring
to preserve. David Wyatt
Still there and still singing
I first visited Westmill Farm in 2018 to answer a question posed by a
student. We had been discussing alternative energy and he said that
wind turbines were noisy. So I felt obliged to go and listen for myself.
I reported back that the sound of the traffic on the nearby road was
so loud that I could not hear the turbines at all. But as I walked
further on to the site, the dominant sound was one of skylarks. Lots
and lots of skylarks, hanging in the sky singing their little hearts out.
Westmill Community Solar was installed beside the turbines in 2011
the first community owned solar farm in the country. The fields
here grow crops, but are managed to maximize wildlife. The ab-
sence of pesticides means that the insects the skylarks need are
plentiful. The birds breed and nest quite happily, and are not both-
ered by the creaking of wind turbines or the proximity of solar pan-
els. Modern farms no longer feature the pretty thatched cottages and
flower filled meadows that we like to imagine. Intensive agricultural
practices have hugely reduced birds and wild flowers. Skylark
numbers have declined so dramatically in recent years, that it was a
real delight to see them here. The wild flowers, free to spread
themselves about, were attracting the butterflies, hoverflies and
bees which have been pushed to the edge of extinction elsewhere.
And then, bouncing about amongst the solar panels, I spotted a
number of hares, unperturbed by the technology, happy to hang out
and raise their babies in a spot where they are less visible to preda-
tory birds hanging in the wind.
The January visit with the Parish Council was on a much colder,
wilder day. Most people came by car and so missed the multiple
skylarks that greeted visitors like me walking through the front gate.
Still there and still singing. This time, there were no hares amongst
the solar panels. They were probably hunkered down against the
wind somewhere. But there were sheep: a small flock of rough coat-
ed ewes with pretty faces, kept, not for food, but to keep the grass
down woolly, low-tech lawn mowers. Their dung is not adulterated
with chemicals I was told, so insects can use it. It im p roves the soil,
and provides a source of food all at the same time.
So, when (if) we have our own solar farm in Botley, will it be as wild
life friendly as the Westmill Farm? I hope so. It will certainly be
helping, just a little bit, to stave off the wildlife extinction that Climate
Chaos is definitely going to bring. Don’t burn gas. Raise hares
instea d . Theres a slogan for you! Linda Losito
Christmas Hampers and Botley Bridges
Thank you to all who
helped make this years
Christmas Hampers such
a great success! This was
a joint project, organised
by Botley Bridges Family
Support, Community
Larder, Food for Charities,
and lo ts of wonderful local
volunteers. St Peter and
St Paul’s Church kindly
lent the hall for tw o days
for packing. Local people
could register themselves
for a hamper but we also took requests from social services and health
visitors to make sure we reached the families most in need.
Many local folk gave up their time, donated goods, money and presents
and gave some Christmas cheer to 123 families. We have had some
lovely feedback about the difference it made to families and individuals.
Most of the hampers went to local
families but we also donated
some to families living in very
difficult circumstances, including
recent arrivals from Afghanistan.
Botley Bridges is your local Family
Support Charity. We ru n drop-in
sessions for families including
Stay & Play and Baby Groups as
well as online sessions too.
We also run courses such as
paediatric first aid, baby massage,
speech and language and family
nurturing. We are open to all, and
our aim is to improve the lives of
families and children by
supporting parents with
information about child
development and children’s
physical and mental health.
Our sessions are open access, and we only ask for a small
contribution. Our coordinator, Hayley Hayle, leads the majority of the
sessions and we were delighted that she was recognised in the Queen’s
New Years Honours list and awarded a BEM for services to postnatal
work in Oxfordshire.
We are in the process of planning an exciting new venture, which is to
work in conjunction with a local care home to bring residents and young
children with their parents together once a week.
As a charity we rely on grants and donations as well as parental
contributions from the sessions, and are currently looking to raise
£10,000 to cover our costs over the coming year. We are constantly
looking for funding, so if you are interested in donating or have a link to
an organisation which could support a local charity, please get in touch.
Our website is www.botleybridges.org and you can find information
about the charity and previous year’s annual reports th ere . Yo u ca n
donate on the website or send cheques (made payable to ‘Botley
Bridges’) to our registered address Critchley’s, Beaver House, 23-38
Hythe Bridge Street, OX12EP. I am the Chair of Trustees and you can
contact them through me at sue@botleybridges.org Thanks again for
all your support. Sue Dowe
Public Art for Botley: murals, mosaics and more
Fusion Arts is managing an exciting local public art initiative - the
creation of bespoke artworks in and around the Botley West Way
development. Artist Nor Greenhalgh, stone carver Alex Wenham
and mosaic artist Clare Goodall will produce three separate yet
interconnected pieces.
Public consultation has been taking part over the past six months
and everyone can join the community consultation and activity
day on Saturday 19th March at Seacourt Hall 2pm to 5pm.
During this session you will be able to meet the artists, ask them
questions and even try your hand at some mosaic art!
If you have any feedback about this project so far, please email
info@fusion-arts.org using the subject line “West Way art
feedback”.
Subject to approval from National Highways, Nor Greenhalgh plans to
brighten and characterise the pedestrian area beneath the A34 flyover
with an exciting new mural. Here she outlines her artistic process so far:
“The Botley flyover allows safe passage by foot under the ring road,
maintaining an ancient walking route out of Botley. However, it's
designed for the motorists-eye view rather than that of the people
walking through, especially on the south side where it presents an
uninviting concrete tunnel to people on foot.
However, it has great visual potential. The unusually shaped spaces
draw the eye upwards and could be exploited for visual effect, providing
an ideal canvas for visual motifs which draw walkers through the space.
It could be a space to celebrate those travelling on foot as locals and
pilgrims have done for centuries.
Bob Cowley & Linda Losito kindly introduced us to some of the valuable
ecological habitats in the area - including the escarpment of the flyover
itself. We spent an afternoon with the Botley Seniors lunch club to hear
what the area around West Way means to people there, and their views
and hopes for the new development. Local councillors gave their time to
talk us through the history of Botley, and introduce us to volunteers at
the local food bank. Caroline nee Howse introduced me to the history of
Elms Farm Dairy, and showed me beautiful milk bottles with the dairy
logos just unearthed from the mud here.
The Botley GAP action group gave their time to physically investigate
the space with me - walking through the flyover after dark to assess
how it could be improved. All described the flyover as a barrier cutting
off Botley from nearby amenities, and expressed a desire to brighten the
interior and make it feel more like a link between places than a gateway
through them.
This initial process of listening and seeking to understand the site fed
into initial inspirations for a public artwork. I was inspired by Botley as a
place where people come to make a home; alongside the paradoxical
role of the area as a busy transport interchange and place where people
are often passing through. This tension is embodied in the flyover itself,
which both protects and alienates pedestrians; which feels like a barrier
and yet facilitates movement; which is simultaneously "unhomely" and
yet provides a rich habitat for many species - not least roosting pigeons!
The paradoxical feeling of the flyover can be summed up as a clash of
scales, where little humans on foot are confronted with large-scale
structures and signage, designed to be viewed from a distance and at
speed. I have aimed to embrace its incongruent scale when drafting
large-scale designs, which are still aimed squarely at the human looking
up from their lowly position of the pavement, and highlighting how the
human-scale body relates to this much larger structure.
I was also struck by old poems mentioning Botley's walking routes, such
a contrast with Botley Road's modern reputation as a busy transport
corridor! Lines such as Matthew Arnold's "over flooded fields foot
travellers go" were romantically nostalgic even when written in Victorian
times, but highlight the historical continuity of this route for people on
foot.
Alongside mural designs, I have collaborated with mosaic artist Clare
Goodall to produce relief ceramic tiles, to link her mosaic works with
motifs in the mural. Further public engagement will generate more
finished motifs by playing with scale, for example using very powerful
botanical magnifying glasses to home in on detail, then enlarging this to
the greatest size which it is possible to draw by hand celebrating the
'clash of scales' already found in the flyover.
Nor Greenhalgh
Not Looking for Bear Grylls
The 15th Oxford is on the lookout for people to
help support the group, in a wide variety of roles.
If you’re able to spare some time in any capacity
and want to support a long running local
community group, then please get in touch!
Each section is led by adult volunteers, who plan
and manage all youth events in the group from
Friday evening meetings to camps, hikes and
days out. Would you be able to arrange a day
trip to see a new city, organise a short hike along
the Ridgeway, or visit the group on a Friday
evening to run an activity, or show off your
hobbies or career to the Cubs/Scouts? Let us know!
You dont have to be Bear Grylls or constantly spending your time hiking
and camping in order to help us out. All we ask is a bit of your free time!
Previous Leaders at the 15th Oxford have come from a wide range of
careers and backgrounds Chefs, Ambulance Drivers, Registrars,
Engineers, Administrators, Curators, Pyrotechnicians and more! The
most important thing is that you enjoy your time with us, that you have
the full support and encouragement from the team, and that you’re
willing to help us out.
If you’re thinking of a more regular supporting role, then the Scout
Association can provide full supporting training programmes from
Occasional Helper to Section Leader. Not sure you can commit to
helping every week? Maybe you could help recording badgework and
progress awards! Only able to help in your own time? Maybe you could
help manage the subscriptions! Only able to help out on occasional
weekends? Help us to organise and run camps and nights away!
Every adult looking to be an appointed member of the group with a
regular supporting role will require a safeguarding check, and training
may be provided where necessary (all for free!). This can be arranged
flexibly to suit your available free time and other commitments it’s
there to support you, not to assess you!
Please do feel free to send us a message with any questions. Or if
you’d like to have a chat, then please either send us an email at
XVOxfordScouts@yahoo.co.uk
or give the Group Scout Leader (Olly
Faulkner) a call on 07736 054 013. We’d love to hear from you!
Tom Fr eem an
Could you be a Governor at Botley School?
At Botley we have been consulting on our Vision and Values, and we
are looking forward to re-launching these in March. It was very clear
from our consultation that everyone wanted to do all we could to work
with, and be part of, our local community.
This is why the Governing Body are reaching out to the community we
want to create a Governing Body which more accurately reflects
Botley’s varied population. Botley is a very diverse school, by all
measures, and we believe the Governing Body would benefit greatly
from reflecting this. Therefore, we are especially inviting applications
from members of our community who understand the diversity of
ethnicity, religion, and languages that are found here.
What does being a governor at Botley School entail?
The Governing Body is made up of Staff, Parent and Community
Governors. This last category is open to anyone who has the skills and
passion to make a difference to the governance of our school. We
currently have four Community Governors and five vacancies; we are
inviting applications from across the community to fill thes e .
Governors are expected to attend around ten meetings a year, where
members of the leadership team will present reports, data, and plans for
the future, for you to scrutinise. Your
job will be to monitor the work
already being done in school, and
help with our strategic planning.
The other main responsibility is what
we call ‘Link’ meetings. Here, each
Governor takes on an area of
special interest, and works with the
staff member responsible to
understand what is involved. This is
a very rewarding part of the role.
Governors forge close relationships
with staff members and develop
expertise in a particular field.
We would also like to broaden the
skills and expertise of the Governing
Body, and so we are inviting
applications from people with
experience in finance and
accounting, or estates management
this is not a requirement for the role, but it would be a welcome addition.
Governors who join the Governing Body will be given training, and
usually serve for an initial term of four years. Being part of Botley’s
Governing Body is a rewarding experience, both in terms of
volunteering to give something back to our community, and in the skills
we have developed in our professional lives as a result. There are
opportunities to take on leadership positions with the Governing Board,
or to make the most of being part of the team.
Overall, the role of Governors is to support the schools leadership team
in delivering high quality education to our community. We work closely
with the head teacher and the Acer Trust, to further improve education
and wellbeing at Botley School.
Applicants will be interviewed as part of the process, but enquiries from
anyone who thinks they might be eligible are welcome. If you or anyone
you know wishes to hear more about how to apply, please do ask them
to get in touch at the following email address: office@botley.oxon.sch.uk
Ben Potter (Chair of Governors)
Randoms
Time to get walking again!
At this time of year we start to think about getting out into the beautiful
English Countryside again, but where to find the walks? Walking in
Oxfordshire (https://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/oxfordshire) has hun-
dreds of walks to download and print, free. It also has books of walks,
details of all the walking groups in the county and much more. With
walks from half a mile to twelve miles and more, and a note giving suit-
ability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to
enjoy. So home or away, check out the website and get walking!
John Harris
Botley WI
Our Annual Meeting is on Tuesday 1st March, when new officers will be
elected. Our speakers, from Nordic Model Now!, will talk about the
harms of prostitution. Visitors welcome. Our Faberdashery Sale on Sat-
urday 26th March, 10-3pm, will have lots of items saved when Denman
closed. For more information ring Alison on 07598 251161 or to book
the hall call Val on 01865 245273. Alison Jenner
New Church in Botley
A new Church (Christ Church Botley, part of the Anglican Network in
Europe) has begun to meet in the area. Services start at 10am on Sun-
days, but not always at the same venue, so please contact Reverend
Ken Campbell for details, phone 07849 292489 and email: revke nox-
ford@ou tloo k .co m See the website for more detailed information:
www.christchurchbotley.org
Help with Scams
Age UK Oxfordshire has launched a new scams prevention and support
programme for older people, funded by Lloyds Bank. It offers group
talks to raise awareness, and face-
to-face sessions for those who
have been caugh t. Designed to
help older people to recognize and
deal with attempted scams, the
programme will also provide
support to fraud victims recovering
after an incident. Being scammed
can have an impact beyond losing
money it can erode confidence
and damage quality of life. To f i nd out more about Age UK Oxfordshire’s
Scams Prevention and Support Programme, phone them on 0345 450
1276. There is also detailed information online on the Age Uk Website:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/scam s -fraud/
Tree planting on Sunday 6th March
Oatlands Road Rec, 10am to 3pm, organized by Low Carbon West
Oxford. They have 500 trees to plant. They will provide the kit, and
hopefully hot drinks, but ask you to bring cake to share if you can. All
welcome. Let Karen know you’re coming on events@lcwo.org.uk
Cumnor Choral Concert
Fauré’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer, Conducted by
Peter Foster. St P&P Church, Sat 26th March, 7.30pm. Tickets from
Caroline Cockman (carolinecockman@gmail.com, tel 07961 900670).
Breast-feeding in Botley
Bayley, in Pappo’s new restaurant, has said that breast-feeding mothers
can go there and feed their babies in the staff area. I found a young
woman feeding her baby on a cold bench outside the Co-op in what is
effectively a wind tunnel. She must have been so cold
Jenny Holloway
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details
to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 710
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 710
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Baby & Toddler Group
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Books on Wheels R.V.S.
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Botley Community Larder
Botley and Kennington
Patients Participation Group
Botley Library
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Cumnor Choral Society
Cumnor Chess Club
Cumnor & District
Historical Society
Cumnor Gardening Club
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Hill End Volunteer Team
Lawn Tennis Club, N Hinksey
West Oxford Singing Circle
Morris Dancing Cry Havoc
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare clubs
N Hinksey Art Group
Weds 1012.00 W.I. Hall Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers
Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunteers
Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr
07798743121 voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of
Annual Cricket Match/ Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council
clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
N Hinksey Youth Club
Weds at LM pavilion, Daz: 07791 212866 or F’book
Oxford Flood Alliance
R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging Club
4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: Ox 865259
Oxford Harmony
Wednesdays 7.30 9.30 pm at Seacourt Hall, Con-
tact pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays,
twice monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Raleigh Park, Friends of
raleighpark@raleighp ark.o rg.uk
Seacourt Hall Management
Committee
Contact Lottie White, 07452 960100, or see
https://www.seacourthall.org.uk
Shotokan Karate Club
6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450
Stagecoach Botley
Walking for Health
West Oxford Bowls Club
Contact details on
www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk
West Oxford Taekwon Do
Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall
01865 570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A
(Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
West Way Day Centre
Mon & Fri 103pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Women’s Institute (Botley)
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Banso tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
Baptist Hall
1 Church Way
Contact: Diane Melchert 01865 243664
botleybaptistchurch@gmail.com
The Rosary Room
Yarnells Hill, Elms Rise
Contact Maria Brown,
Te l : 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 7 9 8 6 .
SS Peter & Paul Church
Hall, West Way, Botley
Contact: 01865 242057 or
osneybenefice@outlook.com.
Women's Institute Hall,
North Hinksey Lane
Contact: Val Warner
Te l . 0 1 8 6 5 2 4 5 2 7 3
Seacourt Hall,
3 Church Way
Contact: Lottie White on 07452 960100,
or email admin@seacourthall.org.uk
Pavilion, Arnold’s Way,
Elms Rise, Botley
Contact: Darren Blase 241254
louiememorialpav ilio n@gm ail.c o m
Oxford Rugby Club,
North Hinksey Village
Contact:. Mary Bagnall
mary.bagnall1@btinternet.com.
North Hinksey & Botley Churches
Times of Services (once resumed) and Contacts
St. Lawrence, Church of England, North Hinksey Lane
1st, 2nd, 4th Sunday, Sung Eucharist 11.30 a.m.
3 rd Sunday, Matins 11.3 0 a m
St. Peter and St. Paul, Church of England, West Way
2nd Saturday each Month, 46pm Messy Church for children and their carers
1st Sunday of the Month, 9.30am All Age service of Holy Communion
All other Sundays, 9.30am Holy Communion with activities for children
Every Wednesday, 10.30am Holy Communion at Field House
Rev Clare Sykes, Tel. 01865 242345 or revclare@btinternet.com
Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Roman Catholic, Yar n ells Hill
Saturday 6.30 pm. Mass
Sunday 9.15 am Mass
Fr Daniel Lloyd. 07584 323915 dlloyd@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk.
Botley Baptist Church, 1 Church Way
Sunday Service 11 am.
Wednesday Zoom Bible Study 7.30 p.m.
Choir practice Thursday 2p.m.
Diane Melchert, 07742 662668. www.botleybaptistchurch.org
Calvary Chapel
Sunday services held at Botley School 10.3012 noon
Pastor Philip Vickery 01865 864498
calvarychapeloxford@yahoo.co.uk;
www.calvarychapelox fo rd .o r g .u k
What’s On
March 2022
Sun 6th 10am3pm , Oatlands Road Rec. Tree planting,
organized by WOCA. Kit provided. All welcome.
Thur 10th 12 for 12.30, Seacourt Hall Botley Snrs Lunch Club
Sat 12th 25pm, Seacourt Hall, STAY WARM SAVE ENERGY
Mon 14th 2.30, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk: Jane
Stubbs on “Corsets, Crinolines and Mangles’
Thurs 17th 7.30, Seacourt Hall and Zoom, ANNUAL PARISH
MEETING
Sat 19th 25pm Seacourt Hall, Open Day, West Way Public Art
Thur 24th 12 for 12.30, Seacourt Hall Botley Snrs Lunch Club
Thur 24th 7.30, Seacourt Hall, Parish Council meeting
Sat 26th 103pm, Botley W.I. Hall, Faberdashery Sale
Sat 26th Ss P&P Church, 7.30, Cumnor Choral Spring Concert
Mon 28th 2.30, Dean Court Community Centre, U3A talk: Jane
Humphreys on "History from underneath: women's
and girls' experience in the era of industrialization"
Sat 19th and Sat 25th, two weekends of litter picking with
Oxclean
March 7th to April 29th, Thanks for All the Fish, photographic
exhibition at Ss Peter and Paul Church.
14
th
March to 16
th
April Local history exhibition at West Oxford
Community Centre, featuring lots of old photographs of
the parishes of St Thomas and St Ebbes